May

Friday

Dec 27, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Patriot Staff

The CapeFlyer test train from Boston rests for a moment at the Buzzards Bay station May 18 before rolling over the Cape Cod Canal railroad bridge and on to its final destination in Hyannis. Weekend summer service was so successful that trains continued running through Columbus Day, and the trains will run again starting next May.

Town charter school steps up profile

The Barnstable Public Schools’ last remaining Horace Mann charter school is looking to renew its charter with the state for another five years. Its sister school in Marstons Mills turned in its charter and became Barnstable United Elementary School. Ron Bearse, chair of the Barnstable Community Horace Mann Charter Public School trustees, says that’s not the course his school will take.

County’s $28M budget OK’d

The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates approved a $27.9 million county operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The Assembly defeated an amendment by Harwich Delegate Leo Cakounes to strip $93,778 that would have gone toward the salary and benefits of assistant county administrator Maggie Downey.

Barnstable Fire District annual meeting

Voters in the Barnstable Fire District will see a lot of familiar articles when they open their warrants at the annual meeting May 8. There are the amounts to operate the water department and fire department, respectively $556,719 and $1,995,519. There are requests for life saving equipment such as $30,000 for a new cardiac monitor, and protective wear for firefighters such as $38,000 for turnout gear. The water department has equipment requests as well, including $25,000 for meter readers, and a big-ticket item, $490,000 to refurbish Water Tank No. 1. All articles are supported by the prudential committee.

Under sunny skies, Cotuit displays graces, challenges

DPW Director Dan Santos joined Town Manager Tom Lynch, Assistant Town Manager Mark Ells, Harbormaster Dan Horn, and other staffers April 29 for a Cotuit village tour hosted by Town Council VP Jessica Rapp Grassetti and the Cotuit Santuit Civic Association. Deputy Police Chief Craig Tamash was along for the visit as well.

Maroney named editor of Barnstable Patriot

Ed Maroney was named editor this week of the Cape’s oldest newspaper. “I am delighted that Ed will lead The Barnstable Patriot as its editor,” Peter Meyer, president and publisher of Cape Cod Media Group, said in a statement. “His impeccable journalism credentials and complete dedication to the Patriot, the town it serves, and its readers make him the perfect choice.”

Honoring an activist, challenging big banks

Cotuit housing advocate Bob Murray received the 9th annual Gwen Pelletier award for excellence in community service at the annual meeting of the Community Development Partnership. Murray has found millions of dollars of funding for food pantries, homeless and affordable housing units, low-income people and the mentally challenged, and is executive director of the Falmouth Housing Authority. He created the Housing With Love Walk.

Taisto Ranta remembered at Sandy Neck

A gathering of about 30 people including Taisto Ranta’s family, town officials, members of the Department of Natural Resources and Sandy Neck employees, as well as other well wishers witnessed the April 28 unveiling of a monument at the gatehouse of Sandy Neck Beach commemorating the contributions of the Town of Barnstable’s first Conservation Officer.

Schools stick with Aramark for food service

The school committee voted unanimously April 24 to extend Aramark’s contract as the system’s food service provider into 2016.

Watson: Don’t let Danforth dream die

The Barnstable Agricultural Commission welcomed state Commissioner of Agricultural Resources Greg Watson April 24 to discuss farming on publicly-owned land. Debate over agricultural use of the 217-acre Danforth property in Martsons Mills took center stage. “You don’t want to miss this one,” Watson advised members.

Millions in pipeline for wastewater planning

On May 7, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection agreed to let the Cape Cod Commission start spending money under a $3.3 million award previously approved by the state toward a work plan to update the region’s wastewater planning, according to Larry Ballantine, chairman of the governing board committee of the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative. Paul Niedzwiecki, executive director of the Cape Cod Commission, detailed aspects of the work plan May 8 in a meeting with the collaborative’s governing board. The commission has posted the work plan on its website, www.capecodcommission.org.

Police to increase time spent in town’s western villages

The Barnstable police want to establish a police station along the Route 28 corridor in the town’s west villages by March or April of next year. Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald detailed the proposal May 7 at the monthly meeting of the Marstons Mills Village Association.

Coming to terms with SEMASS

A group of towns on either side of the Cape Cod Canal, including Barnstable, has come to terms with SEMASS over how to dispose of solid waste over the next decade. What remains to be seen is whether those terms will turn into contracts for each of the communities.

Barnstable FD annual a learning experience

Out of 30 articles on the May 8 annual meeting ballot of the Barnstable Fire District., only one drew a single “No” vote. The 25-plus district residents who showed up at Barnstable-West Barnstable Elementary School used the occasion to educate themselves about water quality and the preparation of their firefighting and rescue force, and to bid farewell to longtime contributors to the district.

Senate hopeful Gomez shares views with 4Cs class

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez spoke May 8 to Cape Cod Community College’s Economics Club. Gomez fielded most friendly questions about foreign wars and their consequences, Social Security and Medicare, and immigration.

Upgrade sought for “horse and buggy” intersection

On May 7, Marstons Mills Village Association members listened to and shared their thoughts with consultants brought in by the town growth management department to offer ways to improve pedestrian, bicyclist and vehicular safety and flow in the village center.

Milk family gets back into the snack shack biz

After a few years away from the snack bar business, the Milk family is back and looking forward to another cool Kalmus summer operating the Kalmus Beach Snack Bar.

C’ville condo ties into town sewer line

Everybody talks about wastewater on Cape Cod, but the Center Village Condo Association in Centerville did something about it, starting a two-years-plus campaign to let the association tap into the town sewer line at Bearse’s Way and Route 132.

OpenCape network launch is June 14

OpenCape, a new open-access broadband network about to go into operation, was one of the stars of the May 13 Smarter Cape Summit. Alan Davis, president of CapeNet, which operates OpenCape, announced the network’s first customer: Otis Air Force Base. A network launch event is slated for June 14 at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne.

Pedal pushers seek a more bike-friendly Barnstable

The town opened the floodgates this week by asking bicyclists to tell the growth management department what they wanted to make Barnstable a bike-friendly community. As people gathered around maps to chart routes and locations for amenities, it was apparent that there’s a strong appetite for getting around town on two wheels.

Three vie for COMM water board seat

On May 20, three-term incumbent Scott Crosby of Osterville, owner of Scott Crosby Builder, will contend with Tom Cambareri of Centerville, the Cape Cod Commission’s water resource program manager and Glenn Barry of Marstons Mills, the retired water superintendent of Bortolotti Construction, for a seat on the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills water board.

No alarms at Hyannis Fire District annual meeting

“Seventeen articles, seventeen minutes,” someone commented after May 15th’s swift Hyannis Fire District annual meeting at Barnstable High School. The time may not be exact, but the thought captures the spirit of an evening in which only one question was asked of the district’s elected officers and all articles passed unanimously.

Major milestone for HyWest

On June 14 Hyannis West Elementary School will hold a special Open House commemorating its 50 years, complete with photos decorating the hallway walls and comments from past principal Fred Scully and HyWest alumnus and current school committee member Chris Joyce.

Lt. Gov. Murray: STEM’s a rising tide

In a roundtable discussion at Cape Cod Community College May 9, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray discussed the importance of science, technology, engineering and math in education. He is heading an effort to close gaps in regards and to identify the best STEM programs in the state so they can be shared statewide.

First look at proposed Hyannis fire station

A “preliminary opinion of probable project cost” puts the total price of a new Hyannis Fire Headquarters facility at $25,545,114 for a 51,493-square-foot building at the current location on High School Road Extension. The cost estimate was announced at the committee’s May 20 meeting.

Hyannis Water wants land

The Hyannis Water Division of the town’s Department of Public Works is seeking $50,000 in seed money for a land acquisition program to protect its drinking water wells. The division has applied for Community Preservation Act funding for the initiative.

For ‘Overnights,’ change is good

Instead of hosting people in need at area houses of worship (or even people’s homes) via the Overnights of Hospitality program, they will be placed into transitional housing thanks to the assistance of dedicated volunteers, caseworkers and Homeless Not Hopeless, Inc.

Barnstable’s oldest resident passes at 107

Signy Moen’s life was a happy one, bubbling over with rich and vibrant memories that spanned across time, from her childhood in Norway to her later years living in Barnstable. At 107 Moen was Barnstable’s oldest resident, passing away just a few months shy of her 108th birthday.

COMM: Democracy in action, and inaction

It took about an hour for the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire District Annual Meeting to get a quorum May 21, and after it did it voted to cut the minimum number of voters needed to conduct business from 100 to 75.

Homeowner insurance called unFAIR

At a hearing before a state Insurance Commission panel at Barnstable Town Hall May 29 Cape and Islands legislators, an assistant attorney general, insurance brokers, real estate agents and homeowners lined up to urge the panel of three, with Insurance Commissioner Joe Murphy and commission counsels Jean Farrington and Stephen Sumner, to deny a 9.9 percent proposed increase for Cape and Islands residents.

With little wrangling, Cotuit adds fire department staff

The majority ruled at the Cotuit Fire District annual meeting May 29, speeding through 17 articles in less than an hour and skipping the usual contentious exchanges.

Vaughn named associate editor

Susan Vaughn, most recently a reporter for The Register covering Barnstable and Yarmouth, has joined The Barnstable Patriot as associate editor.

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